Page 18 of Dropping the Ball

“I quite agree,” he said, a moment belatedly. “Perhaps my guests would also be interested in lectures or stories of my travels, both to entertain and to educate.”

“Yes,” Bernadette said enthusiastically. “That would be marvelous. You could take the various ladies on tours of the terrarium, pointing out all of the magnificent creatures who call this place home and sharing stories of their origins.”

Alden was too overcome to reply immediately. He very much wanted to capture the magnificent creature in front of him and make Lyndhurst Grove her home.

He shook himself a moment later. Just as when searching for new species in the wild, he could not be too forward or pounce too soon where Bernadette was concerned. He could not honestly say he had the slightest notion of where her affections lay. He was forced to admit that he was letting his pleasure at her beauty and his delight over her fearlessness, along with her openness to his scientific pursuits, color his thoughts toward her.

If she truly was the ideal wife for him, he needed to be more circumspect and learn about her in a similar manner to how he educated himself about other things.

“I don’t suppose it would be appropriate to teach my guests some of the more colorful dances of the natives of South America,” he said, half in jest. It occurred to him that he would rather like to see Bernadette dressed in the more revealing manner of some of the locals of those warmer climes.

Bernadette blinked, not catching his jest. “Are there such dances? It might be amusing to teach them. Thetonis always on the hunt for newness and novelty.”

Alden laughed. “I’m not certain these dances would be appropriate.”

He expected Bernadette to laugh with him, or perhaps blush, but her thoughtful look grew even more pronounced. “Perhaps we could hire a dancing instructor to invent a new, appropriate dance based on what you might be able to recall of the foreign dances you have seen.”

Alden needed to catch his breath, he was so impressed by Bernadette’s cleverness. “I would be happy to share my knowledge in order to help invent such a thing.”

She was perfect in so many ways. He did not need to know more, to uncover her origins, or to learn whether her family was suitable. He didn’t have the slightest need of the ball either, but the picture of it that Bernadette was creating thrilled him. He would have gladly dropped to his knees and offered Bernadette his heart and his world right there and then.

But sense prevailed. Alden knew he was prone to flights of fancy, and if he did not proceed cautiously, there was every chance that The Curse of Godwin Castle would sneak up and bite him, like a particularly fierce monkey once had in Guyana.

“Perhaps we could serve some of the exotic foods of South and Central America before the ball as well,” he said, scrambling for something to say that would stop him from doing something rash, like grasping Bernadette’s hand, pulling her into his embrace, and kissing her until they were both senseless.

“Oh!” Bernadette exclaimed with a wide smile. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. What sort of preparation would be needed for that sort of food?”

Alden’s enthusiasm faltered. “To be honest, we may not be able to find many of the proper ingredients in Wessex,” he said. “Rice, beans, chicken, and fish, yes. But some of the spices, not to mention things like conch, would be harder to acquire.”

“Conch?” Bernadette blinked in confusion, though she seemed interested.

“Yes, conch fritters are a particular favorite of mine,” he said.

“Then we should endeavor to at least try to acquire them,” Bernadette said definitively.

Alden had the feeling that Bernadette would go to the ends of the earth to find him the things he wanted, if he asked her. It was a strange feeling, since he was convinced he should be the one to scour the Earth for every little thing her heart desired. He would do it gladly.

“Is there anything else you believe to be essential for the perfect ball?” he asked, moving closer to her still. He was close enough that the slightest bit of movement would allow him to take her hand or brush his fingertips against her arm.

Bernadette sucked in a breath, as if she had suddenly become aware of their proximity, and of the charge in the air between them. “I am certain we will discover new things that we need as we go along,” she said, her voice as soft and warm as the summer wind through southern palms.

“Yes, I know we will discover a great many things,” Alden said, leaning close to her.

Caution be damned. Alden was intoxicated. From her bravery to her cleverness, Bernadette was everything he’d ever wanted. Why should he not claim her immediately? She certainly seemed as open to him as he was to her.

Carefully, he rested his hand on her arm, just above her elbow. As soon as their skin touched, both of them breathed deeply, in accord with one another. Bernadette gazed up at him, deep emotion in her eyes that Alden couldn’t quite work out. All he knew was that he wanted her, and he sensed the feeling was mutual.

Daringly, he raised his other hand to cradle the side of her face. Bernadette’s face flushed pink, and she parted her plump lips, ready for a kiss. Alden’s heart pounded as he dipped down to her, bringing his lips to within a hair’s breadth of hers. He closed his eyes, filling himself with the feeling of her right there with him, physically and emotionally, and parted his lips.

“My lord?” Smythe’s awkward call came from the far end of the room, near the door.

Bernadette gasped and jumped back, out of his reach. Alden made a sound of frustration mingled with embarrassment, heating as if he’d stepped into the Amazonian sun and been stung for his efforts. He cursed himself as he cleared his throatand tugged at the hem of his jacket. Too soon. It was much too soon for advances like that.

“Yes, Smythe?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

For all that he was young, Smythe knew what he was interrupting. “Terribly sorry, my lord, but the workmen have a question about where they should dispose of rubbish as they remove old floorboards and furnishings.”

Alden winced. He was a man of nearly fifty, but it felt very much like his young butler was scolding him with those words.

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